Method of and apparatus for effecting tight couplings



Jan. 9, 1934. c. K. BRooKs Er A1.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING TIGHT COUPLINGS Filed April 16. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l W| V I 3Q. www 1 d 4 R. m E a M,

Jan. 9, 1934. c. K. BROOKS Er AL METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING TIGHT 4COUPLINGS Filed April 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING TIGHT COUPLINGS Chester K. Brooks, Kirtland Hills, and Ernest H. Schmidt, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignors to National Malleable and Steel Castings Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 16, 1929. Serial No. 355,456

3 Claims. (Cl. 213-223) This invention has for its chief object the washer 12 is seated against shouldered portion provision of means for eliminating slack in rail- 13 of the stem and is provided with an inner way draft attachments, so that cars may be extension 14 which assists in maintaining the tightly coupled together and the ensuing advanspring centered with respect to the stem. A

tages of smoothness in stopping and starting and Similar washer 15 having an extension 16 may 60 improvement in riding qualities obtained. A rest against member 17 0f the Platform deck further object is to provide means which is not casting. A nut 18 threaded on the end of poronly adapted to take up the slack between cars tion 11 of the stem 7 normally bears against a but which also does not interfere with the operaboss 19 on said casting member 17. It will be 1D tions of coupling and uncoupling. In carryunderstood that the stem 7 connected to the 65 ing out our invention, we make use of the buffers other side of the buffer plate 8, and shown fragwhich act to hold the vestibule platforms of admentarily in Fig. 1, is of the same construction jacent cars in contact; and in this connection we and is acted upon by a spring in the same way provide means for augmenting the power or as the stem 7 above specifically described. y

capacity of said buffers so that they may hold The buffer comprises a friction case 20 in 7o the cars apart and thereby obviate slack in the which are mounted friction shoes 21, 21 adaptcouplers and draft attachments. n addition, we ed to be pressed outwardly against said case by provide means for reducing said increased eapaca wedge 22 upon inward movement of the cenity when coupling or uncoupling is to be effected. tral Stem 6. Inward movement of said shoes is An additional feature of our invention resides resisted by a spring seat 23 and a light spring 24. 75

in the provision of means simple in construction When the cars are brought together for couand readily applicable to existing equipment for pling the plate 8 is moved inwardly a certain accomplishing the results above outlined. Other distance and the stems 6 and 7 and wedge 22 features of the invention will be hereinafter demoved accordingly, before the couplers are in- 25 scribed and claimed. terlocked. This movement is in practice about 8o In the accompanying drawings: three inches, and the resistance offered by the Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of a buffer is simply that of the side springs 10, the buffer embodying cur invention, the train pipe center spring 24, and the very slight friction deand valve connections cooperating with the buffer veloped by the shoes 21 against the casing 20,

being indicated diagrammatically and a portion set up by the compression of the light spring 24. 85 of the associated car structure being shown in We have provided means whereby the action of dot-dash lines. the buffers may be sufliciently increased to hold Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view the cars apart` and thereby obviate slack in the on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; coupler and draft attachments and maintain the Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line couplers in tight pulling contact with each other. 90

3-3 of Fig. 2; This means may be constructed substantially as Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section on line follows:

4 4 of Fig. 2, and Secured to the friction case 20 by cap screws Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a detail. 25 is a` casing comprising two air cylinders in 4o In the drawings the platform deck casting of a which are mounted pistons 27. Each piston con- 95 car is indicated in dot-dash lines at 5, the center sists of a piston head 28, a leather washer 29, stem of the vestibule platform buffer at 6, and and a metal washer 30, and is secured to the the side buffer stems at 7. The platform deck associated piston rod 31 by a nut 32. Each of casting is shown broken away at one side for the piston rods 31 is in turn secured to the spring the sake of clearness, and likewise one of the seat 23 by a vertical pin 33. The inner ends of 100 buffer stems 7 is shown fragmentarily. The the cylinders 26 communicate through pipe conbtufer plate is indicated diagrammatically at 8 nections 34 with a pipe line 35 which in turn and its face line at 8'. The associated coupler communicates through pipe 36 with the usual is not shown but the position of the pulling face air reservoir carried by the car. The piping 35 5o of the coupler knuckle is diagrammatically indimay be placed in communication with the pipe 36 105 cated at 9. 10 designates one of the side buffer or vented to the atmosphere by means of a three springs with which the side stems 7 are provided. way valve 37. The latter, as illustrated in Fig,

As shown, said spring surrounds a rearwardly 5, is rotatable in casing 38 and is provided with extending portion 11 of the associated stem 7, ports 39, 40, and 41. For operating the valve said portion ll being of reduced diameter. A the handle 42 thereof is shown connected through 110 reach rod 43 to arm 44 of the usual angle cock handle 45 of the train pipe line 46.

While but one of the vestibule platform buffers has been specifically described and illustrated, it will be understood that we contemplate that each of the vestibule platform buffers on each car be constructed similarly to that above described. As will be apparent, each of the buffers may be connected to the air reservoir on its car or placed into communication with the atmosphere by connections which are duplicates of those described hereinbefore. It will be understood that two train pipe angle cocks and corresponding control handles (similar to angle cock 47 and handle 45) are provided on each car, one at each end thereof, and it -will be evident that each of the vestibule platform buffers on the car may be controlled through a three-way valve operated by the adjacent angle cock handle in the same way as has been outlined in connection with the buffer and connections herein specifically illustrated.

In operation, when the cars are brought together and the couplers interengaged, the buifer plate 8 and buffer connections have been moved inwardly as hereinbefore noted; and the pistons 27 have been correspondingly moved from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

. After the coupling is made, including the coupling of the usual'air and steam line, the switchman goes through the customary procedure of opening the angle cock 47 by moving its handle 45 from A to B. Through the arm 44, rod 43, and arm 42 the three-way valve 37 is operated. so as to place the ports 39 and 40 in communication with pipes 35 and 36 (as shown in Fig. 5), thereby bringing the pipes 34, 34, into communication with the air reservoir carried by the car. Air now flows from said reservoir through valve 37 and associated piping into the cylinders 26, acting upon the pistons 27 and thereby pressing forwardly on the buffer plate 8. The buffer plate on the adjacent or preceding car with which said plate 8 contacts is also acted upon by its buffer mechanism, the power of which is increased by turning of the associated train pipe angle cock handle on said preceding car. Upon admitting air into the cylinders 26, the force applied to the pistons 27, and through them to buffer plate 8, results, in cooperation with the buffer of the preceding car, in holding the buffers together with increased pressure.

Now as soon as the train starts to move, the coupler knuckles come into pulling engagement with one another; any slack in the draft attachments is pulled out and the draft gears are compressed a certain amount in draft. In other words, the adjacent cars move apart from each other the amount allowed by coupler slack, draft attachment slack, and by the resulting draft gear compression. Because of the air pressure behind the pistons 28 and the compression of the spring 24, as well as the side springs 10, the buffer faces 8 remain in tight contact, the pistons moving from their dotted-line position toward the position shown in full line. This allows more air under pressure to enter the cylinders.

If a surge occurs in the train while under way, due to shutting off steam, brake application or any other cause which would normally tend to result in a run-in of slack, (which is the chief cause of rough riding in passenger equipment), this surge is immediately resisted by a high frictional resistance set up by the wedging system ofthe buffer comprising the wedge 22, friction shoes 21 and spring seat 23, to the latter of which the piston pressure is exerted. This frictional resistance is sufficient to maintain the coupler knuckles in pulling position and the draft gears in their partially compressed position and thus prevents the objectionable running-in of slack.

It will be seen that the further the draft gears are compressed in pulling, the further forward the pistons will be in their cylinders and, consequently, the greater the travel of these pistons and the buffer friction mechanism will be when any surge occurs which tends to allow the draft gears to return to their normal position. The cars toward the head end of the train are normally subjected to greater draft action because of their nearness to the locomotive; also, on sudden brake application the resulting surge is greater toward the head end of the train. This pneumatic buffer is automatically able to take care of this heavier surge action at the head end of the train because its pistons at that time will be near the forward end'of the cylinders and there consequently will be a greater available amount of travel in the pneumatic and friction mechanism with which to resist or absorb the resulting surge. The travel of the pistons in the cylinders is so adjusted that when the draft gears are pulled solid the pistons are at the forward end of their stroke, as shown in Fig. 1, and likewise when the draft gears are buifed solid the pistons are at the inner end of their stroke.

A check Valve 48 may be provided for the purpose of preventing the air in the buffer cylinders 26 from flowing back into the reservoir; the building up of excessive pressure in said reservoir by the pneumatic section of the buffer being thus precluded. The air which is trapped in the cylinders and adjacent piping will be compressed by the aforesaid inward movement of the piston and additional piston resistance will thereby be built up.

When it is desired to uncouple a car from the train the switchman first closes the angle cock 47 on said car, moving the handle from B back to its original position indicated at A, which moves the three way valve handle 42 from C to D thereby shifting a solid portion of the three wayV valve 37 opposite pipe 36, placing port 41 in communication with pipe 35, and bringing port 40 opposite opening 38a in the casing 38. The valve is now closed to pipe 36 and the connected air reservoir of the car, while the piping 35 is opened to the atmosphere thus permitting the air in the pneumatic buffer system to exhaust so that itspressure will be reduced to that of the atmosphere. The switchman next uncouples the various hose connections and puts the coupler in lock set position ready to pull away.

It will be noted that the mechanism which we have provided is readily applicable to existing passenger car equipment and requires no change other than drilling a few holes and adding the pipingV and valves for operating the device. The buffer is shown bolted to the car at 49, 50, and 51 and may be assembled as a unit before application of the car. It may be noted that the buffer spring 24 serves the two functions of developing spring and frictional resistance and releasing the pistons or holding them in a forward position.

It will be seen that the process of coupling and uncoupling the cars and their train lines is eX- actiy the same as with the ordinary equipment in which the conventional spring or friction buffer is used, the act of opening and closing the angle cock automatically bringing the pneumatic bufficc los

er into or out of action. The resistance of the spring 24 is so light that it offers no substantial resistance to the coupling up of the cars as its main purpose is merely to bring the pistons to the forward end of their stroke when cars are uncoupled.

If desired, a safety valve may be installed in the piping between the three way valve and the cylinders in order to prevent building up of pressure above a predetermined amount. The application of such valve being obvious, it is believed unnecessary to show the same in the drawings.

The terms and expressions which We have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and we have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What we claim is:

1. In combination, a vestibule platform buffer including friction elements, a spring acting at all times upon certain of said elements to press said elements into frictional contact, means for transmitting fluid pressure to said friction elements to increase the frictional resistance thereof, and means to control the operation of said means.

2. In combination, a vestibule platform buffer, friction means operatively connected with said buffer, means for transmitting uid pressure to the first-named means to increase the frictional rtsistance thereof, and means to control the operation of the second-named means.

3. In a device for taking up slack in coupler and draft gear parts between cars, a buffer member, friction generating means operatively connected therewith, means for transmitting iiuid pressure to said friction means for increasing the frictional resistance thereof, a train pipe line, means to supply air pressure to said line, valve means to control the flow of pressure through said line, means for operating the valve, and means operatively connected. with said valve operating means and operable therewith for admitting pressure to said transmitting means.

ERNEST H. SCHMIDT. CHESTER K. BROOKS. 

